How to “trick” a sort of focus peaking mode on the E-M5
I just got a message from a source saying that there will be a new E-M5 firmware update rolling out mid-December. It adds several more options to the menu regarding EVF info and “one exciting feature that is sure to please users. 😉”
I don’t know yet what this feature is but my guess is that it is focus peaking! Or do you have another feature in your mind?
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P.S.: Bernt sent me this: “Amateur Photographer, Dec 1 2012 issue reviews the E-PL5 and gives it a score of 83%. The OM-D E-M5 is no. 21 on PC World’s list of best products of 2012, http://www.pcworld.com/article/2015065/the-100-best-products-of-2012.html”
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138 Responses
I do not care for much overrated focus peaking (it is not precise tool, and not usable in low light…). But I do realy hope for live focus distance scale preferably with clear DOF indication (something that already Fuji has in its X-series cameras). That is extremely useful thing for landscape shooting when you nedd maximal DOF but at still sharp aperture values… Setting hyperfocal distance would be a breeze then! Come on Oly, give us what many wanted for years! Focusing distance is already encoded in EXIFs, what’s the point to not show it in viewfinder?
actually, the “trick” focus peaking (through the art filter) in E-M5 is WAY more precise than the regular focus peaking on NEX cameras. It allows to nail the focus even with Voigtlander 25/0.95 wide open! If only it didn’t drop the refresh rate of the screen below tolerable, I would have used it all the time when shooting manual focus lenses.
If only ART11 could be used for Movie MF while the recording is in Natural or Portrait.
Woodent
Please explain how the filter can help during manual focus.
Only look on video up to top on page.
@Woodent, do you have samples online for the voigtlaender shots? Curious to see it.
You cannot read focus distance out of non-electronic lenses.
Hahaha, of course you can, right on the lens itself. Most manual lenses have distance scale and many of them DOF markings too!!!
I was answering to Sylwiuz who proposed the new firmware showing focusing distance. How you think the firmware can do it for non-electronic manual focus lenses? 😉
An electronic distance scale is also what i want. having no way to set hyper focal distance is very frustrating
im getting a real thrill up my leg thinking about how im going to use this new art filter on my pro-aliasing (PA) sensor
If you spray your leg it stops them moving about, so they won’t get to bite the important bits.
that it is possible to hope for 60p video?
I also hope for 60p. But I don’t think that this will come with a firmeware update…
I want HDR BKT
+1
I´m sure that´s the most likely feature to be added.
There is no such thing as HDR BKT.
You may be referring to exposure bracketing though, which is already available right now.
Sorry, but there IS a thing like HDR BKT. Called HDR BKT. 🙂
It´s a new feature introduced with the new E-PL5 and E-PM2. And it offers extended exposure bracketing with variations of 2 or 3 ev for up to 5 or 7 pictures.
Well you could just shoot the brackets and post process. It’s fun…and the
OmD has great bracketing especially on High Frame Rate….Ore your could take one well-exposed file and run it thru the detail enhancer od Nik Clor Effects 4 0r Topaz and get similar results.
+1 HDR BKT with possibility to use the self timer. That would be phantastic!
25 fps for the video , please !
Yes, 25p for video is the must add new feature please.
Still hope for 60fps, too.
better video! or just give me the omd pro! 😀
Oh! Nice!
I hope for;
* FocusPeaking
* Option to “unlock” shooting settings from video-settings – Now, the Video-mode inherits the settings made for shooting.
* 1080/25p!
* Sound-volume indicator when in video-mode.
* “Auto”-bracketing option – all shots by one shutter-button push.
* IBIS – 17.5 and 25mm option (for the Voigtlander 0.95).
* Another videocodec?
++
I really hope some of these features will come. Great camera – made even better. 🙂
1. set camera to high-speed sequential shooting
2. setup bracketing
3. press and hold shutter button
You’ll see that it shoots a sequence of exactly the number of frames configured for bracketing, with a single press of the shutter button.
I agree with the list. Without doubt video feature is the Achilles heel of this camera. It has a potential to replace GH2 esp with IBIS, but now it’s pretty horrible. Stuck at 30fps and incapable to change any of the setting. I really hope also Olympus “allows” the camera to be hacked. At the end, it will only boost their sales – like GH2.
I’m pretty sure Olympus will not actively support or promote hacking the E-M5 firmware, and may even try to actively prevent hacks.
We may not like that, but they are really not fond of such user modified firmware, and you better know about that right now then keep hoping that someday it will happen.
In the future they may release cameras with firmware that is specifically designed to allow user modification, and that would change things, for those future cameras.
Nice List. I would be content with Focus Assist in Movie mode- it NEEDS that option.
The want list includes audio controls, video codecs and MySet labeling. A patch cable for the accessory port would be nice to free up the hot shoe.
Meant to say – Focus Assist in Movie Mode with Manual lenses
FP – Art filter trick works fine.
Auto bracketing – does it already.
IBIS – It doesn’t have to be precise to the nearest mm. IBIS will work just fine if you use 16mm and 24mm.
What about correction of CA by the new firmware?
How about 24p video? That would be nice.
Given Oly’s opinion on focus peaking and considering that even Sony (partially) dropped this feature from the RX1 I don’t think so. Could be more video options like 24p or an increased bitrate.
Less over-sharpened video !
1) Better Wi-Fi SD cards support is necessary. Not only for Eye-Fi (which doesn’t work well), but also for Toshiba Air. And maybe remote control of OM-D from smartphone (and not only smarphones with iOS and Android, but Windows Phone, Symbian, Bada will be nice).
2) Better IQ in line with new EPL5 and EPM2.
3) HDR mode
4) focus peaking
5) better movies, and more format of MOVIES (AVI, WMV, MP4, MPG… and others)
6) AF-C improvement
How cool would it be to be able to reassign one of the three control wheels (with HLD-6 attached) to an always on function like ISO? Tri-navi for the OM-D!
Built-in HDR would be nice!
No thanks, I’d rather not have a camera decide how my HDR shots are going to look (probably way overcooked as that appears to remain the flavour du jour amongst many HDR aficionados) so regular exposure bracketing is quite sufficient for me. If only the 7 frame option could be used in 1 EV increments, instead of the current 0.7 EV.
The fact that its not needed by you is no indication that there isn’t a market for it. I have seen many people request this feature, seeing how the OM-D is an amateur enthusiast camera it makes sense as some people just want an HDR shot, not spend time at their PC making one.
That would be how I would like it, but I’d still save the RAW file incase I would want to have something different (& that is usually using Olympus Viewer 2).
1. watercolour artfilter
2. spot metering linked to focus point
3. sound volume indicator
4. focus peaking :-[
5. new artfilters?
All that piffle is much more important than a non-cracking display.
piffle is Declan’s middle name lol .
nope don’t have a middle name.
Video bitrate PLEASE
Smaller focus points please
The smaller focus point A’lla E-PL5 or E-PM2,.is already there,.no need to add , but you need to re-setting it, as I did
Press MENU- scroll down to CUSTOM MENU- and press B as BUTTON/DIAL -and press right toggle – and choose and press BUTTON FUNCTION again press right toggle> Fn1 FUNCTION apear and hoose and set MAGNIFY press OK.
and now everytime you press the Fn1 the SMALLER FOCUS WILL APEAR INSTEAD OF regular size focus point,.and YOU CAN CANCEL IT BY PRESS THE OK button
While I use that (or similar) function through the ‘touch to focus’ feature, the standard focus positions would be nice if they could changed from large (as it is) to the small size of the E-PL5 as an option.
-Solving banding issue with the Panasonic 20mm at high iso (again)
-Solving the compression artefacts on movement in video.
-25p, 24P
There are lots of features that could be brought by new FW:
-ISO 100
-higher flash sync speed
-focus peaking
-HDR
-panorama
-low light noise reduction by multi-frame stitching
-live focus distance
-live focal length (for zoom lenses)
-zoom by cropping
-color isolation mode
If their art filter team dedicated their time to some more useful stuff, Oly cameras could have the best SW out there.
To me the most important feature they could add is to use the focus point also as the center for metering.
I don’t do much video, but when I do, lacking 25p is the simple reason to grab my older G2 for video. This would also a very nice addition.
I hope E-M5 can Touch-AF while recording video.
I suppose the smaller focus points from the E-PM2 and the E-PL5 is a given.
The smaller focus point A’lla E-PL5 or E-PM2,.is already there,.no need to add , but you need to re-setting it, as I did
Press MENU- scroll down to CUSTOM MENU- and press B as BUTTON/DIAL -and press right toggle – and choose and press BUTTON FUNCTION again press right toggle> Fn1 FUNCTION apear and hoose and set MAGNIFY press OK.
and now everytime you press the Fn1 the SMALLER FOCUS WILL APEAR INSTEAD OF regular size focus point,.and YOU CAN CANCEL IT BY PRESS THE OK button
I want the smaller focus point without loossing the functionality of the 4 way controller buttons. With your method I loose that and what I have on fn 1
I understand that ,but you can choose and modified between Fn1 ,Fn2, O/RECORD MOVIE BUTTON,.or if you have the HL-D Baterry Grip,.you can Choose B-Fn1 or B-Fn2 as SMALLER AF POINT by change to MAGNIFY
as and addition,.you even can choose
L-Fn button to set as an AF Smaller point
With your method, you lose the highlight/shadow warnings when you activate the small AF point.
Honestly ,i never paid attention about the highlight warning as i NEVER found the problem of overexposing the image ,maybe because the Camera itself give us A very good Range .
but for the Implementation of Smaller AF you can modified your button camera in to your style,
and you can choose which button you will choose to be modified,..i’l found within my OM-D user friends,.we all have different SET UP for his camera
If it’s 24p, I’ll buy one!
What I really want is the selectable smaller AF field of PL5/PM2 and a not disappearing AF field in the burst mode.
I’d also love another improvement of the C-AF performance but I fear this won’t happen before the E-M6 or however the next generatipon will be called.
Apart from that, I couldn’t be happier with the E-M5.
The smaller focus point A’lla E-PL5 or E-PM2,.is already there,.no need to add , but you need to re-setting it, as I did
Press MENU- scroll down to CUSTOM MENU- and press B as BUTTON/DIAL -and press right toggle – and choose and press BUTTON FUNCTION again press right toggle> Fn1 FUNCTION appear and choose and set MAGNIFY press OK.
and now every time you press the Fn1 the SMALLER FOCUS WILL APEAR INSTEAD OF regular size focus point,.and YOU CAN CANCEL IT BY PRESS THE OK button
I’m using this all the time but at the PL5/PM2, you can use the small AF point with access to the histigram and the likes.
The trouble here wt. trolls that when you offer them a finger, they grab the arm, as they say where I live.
No shame at all in asking for a year’s additional work from Olympus by yesterday.
That happens when you leave today’s work for tomorrow – for several years… While the competition keeps adding new stuff to its products. Luckily, the new sensor partner has some features available for a small fee for its current customers, so Oly R&D can devote all their attention to improving art filters for upcoming E-P5.
Yeah right…
Oly indeed has ton work hard when it comes to catching up with the competition in the areas AF/C-AF, stabilisation, viewfinder performance, lenses, customisability of the cameras and and and.
But of course gimmicks such as WiFi are of far bigger importance. Say no more.
Gimmicks such as ISO 100 also eluded them somehow. AF/C-AF, stabilisation, viewfinder performance and lenses are all hardware related. It’s the software side that has been lagging in the last couple of years and I was referring to it – as is the topic of this post.
Adding ISO 100 doesn’t get you much that you do not already have.
Considering that the ‘native’ ISO of the sensor is ‘200’, implementing ISO 100 will come at the expense of about 1 stop of dynamic range, and that one stop will be at the ‘hilight’ side.
You can already get this by shooting at ISO 200, overexposing by 1 stop, and then correcting the exposure in post-processing.
The one difference for still photography is which bit of software does the exposure correction.
For video this is a bit different because fixing exposure is a bit more hassle there.
WiFi is also a hardware related feature.
Jesus , dude do you never shut up about the C-AF , it sucks for any of us taking real photos of wild life as opposed to shots of fat pets running to you , and they are not even sharp { yeah I have seen them on DPreview you post them in every other thread}. I love my E-M5 for everything but CAF , i can honestly say i have never seen a properly sharp image of a fats moving subject. The E-M5 has a lot of great features lying about others is not needed
No, I will never stop talking about the C-AF that’s the best of all the MILCs on the market. And I absolutely didn’t know that sighthounds are fat pets. Say no more… And other than you, I have seen quite a lot of sharp pictures of fast moving subjects – from racing cars to birds – and nonetheless, I wouldn’t claim that theb C-AF couldn’t be improved clearly. But that’s not the point. It worls – that’s the point. Don’t blame me if you aren’t able to get the thing working.
But first of all, I’d never be as bold to claim that my needs are the ones that count and those of others are of minor importance.
Seems that this kind of politeness isn’t a matter of course, nowadays.
– better panorama mode
– HDR mode
– better Wi-Fi SD cards
– hyperfocal options, calculation DOF and peaking mode
– AF-C improvement
– auto-WB improvement (indoors expecially)
– more codecs for movies, 1080/25 & 1080/24
– AF improvement (and special options) for movies
If they add 24/60P with a more robust codec I will definitely pick one up to run along side the GH2 and GH3.
+1K
+1 I also hope so much for even 60p
1) smaller AF points, and option to choose placing AF point which based on Golden Ratio Rules (not as rectangle matrix)
2) better work of eye sensor (now it is usless option, and i turn it off)
3) as good movies as in Panasonic GH3 (or level GH2 can be good)
For the smaller focus point A’lla E-PL5 or E-PM2,.is already there,.no need to add , but you need to re-setting it, as I did
Press MENU- scroll down to CUSTOM MENU- and press B as BUTTON/DIAL -and press right toggle – and choose and press BUTTON FUNCTION again press right toggle> Fn1 FUNCTION appear and choose and set MAGNIFY press OK.
and now every time you press the Fn1 the SMALLER FOCUS WILL APEAR INSTEAD OF regular size focus point,.and YOU CAN CANCEL IT BY PRESS THE OK button
It’s prpbably gonna be focus peaking, but I whish it was the ability to use exposure compensation when in manual + auto ISO mode. That would be useful.
Let it be better video codec and ‘normal’ (24/25) framerates please! If they do that i will buy one and make it my anamorphic machine 😉 I love the 5-axes stab. Will be great when using my anamorphic lens handheld.
GPS accessory (ups, it’s not firmware)
Wi-Fi with good cooperation with all systems (WP7/8, Symbian, Android, iPhone, and other) with special Apps for each system.
Better auto-WB !!!!!!!
yes a GPS for the accessory port with its own battery would be great!
Pink parasols and rainbows for everyone!
+1 for better AutoWB. Those fantastic ‘Oly colors’ don’t mean much when you have to correct the WB even in daylight. Under incandescent lightning AutoWB is useless.
Multi-zone WB would be a nice touch, but I guess we won’t see that until 2020 :). That’s if Mayan calendar turns out to be wrong :D.
It sounds like there are a lot of things people don’t like about the OMD, so it’s curious to me, why so many are so forgetful when they say how good the OMD is.
Learn the difference between seeing room for improvement, and judging the base quality and capabilities of a product. Once you understand that difference, you’ll also understand why people can think the E-M5 good while also seeing things they’d like to see changed or improved.
The world isn’t black and white only. A product isn’t totally good or totally bad, etc.
Its IBIS, DR and high ISO performance are top notch for 2012 (amongst other things). But that does not mean people have to put up with the lack of some SW features most other manufacturers are offering.
One Simple Request Olympus:
CUSTOM USER SETTINGS
Panasonic, Nikon, Sony and especially Canon know how to implement them. Ideally they should have been on the Mode dial instead of those idiot settings. For the OM-D accessible via any Fn button and not require that you hold the button down to use.
Option to have it remember the current settings or revert to saved settings upon power down or sleep mode.
Jim
+100
This is a very sensible request. The Myset implementation is a nightmare, and to have scene modes on a semipro camera is rather humiliating. Take example from Fuji instead.
Having Film Simulation modes instead of extreme Art Modes, would be far more useful. In a word learn from the competition, although this might bein a future camera.
Stop treating the OM-D cameras as the P&S below it. Random shoppers will tire soon enough, and if they need gadgets revert to simpler cameras.
The best request so far. And the user should be able to give these custom settings sensible names/descriptions.
Indeed, and while at it, allow saving and loading them from the sd card.
.??? There are custom user settings on the OM
(4 of them)They are just buried in the menus and take some time to set up and get used to using..
Yes having them on a mechanical dial…Like the Panasonic G series camers would be greatly welcome on future bodies
24/25p
higher bit rate with video
5-axis IBIS w/manual lenses during video
“5-axis IBIS w/manual lenses during video” already exists with the last firmware 1.5
Forced ISO 100, for diurnal long exposure.
Braketing +2, 0, -2, exposure.
Timing for timelapse.
Focus piking.
better White Balance (with artifcal light is wrong)
24/25p
more codes for movies (my media server dosn’t recognize codes from OMD now)
the same possibilities like EPL5 (Wi-Fi, better IQ)
ISO 100, ISO 50 (lack of 1/8000 and ISO 200 is a problem with 75/1.8 in sunny days)
Maybe smaller focus area in E-PL5 is a good option.
The smaller focus point A’lla E-PL5 or E-PM2,.is already there,.no need to add , but you need to re-setting it, as I did
Press MENU- scroll down to CUSTOM MENU- and press B as BUTTON/DIAL -and press right toggle – and choose and press BUTTON FUNCTION again press right toggle> Fn1 FUNCTION appear and choose and set MAGNIFY press OK.
and now every time you press the Fn1 the SMALLER FOCUS WILL APEAR INSTEAD OF regular size focus point,.and YOU CAN CANCEL IT BY PRESS THE OK button
Seriously. Shut up about that. EVERYONE here already knows that it IS there employing the magnification trick. Everyone.
What people ask for is smaller DEFAULT focus areas which are NOT here in the E-M5.
The same goes for Focus Peaking. It is accessible only as a workaround and NOT implemented as a real feature.
For for heaven’s sake just stop the crap commenting on EVERY post, that the smaller focus area is already there. For it is NOT in the desired fashion.
If possible:
1: possibility to reduce the size of the spot focus area!
2: improve on low ISO performance
3: focus peaking sounds cool, but I am unsure about accuracy
4: wb — is it possible to e.g combine info from a picture taken without extra light, and one taken with extra light (flash or focus aid light — point being with know characteristics)? Could such info be used to auto calibrate wb?
Please let it be 1080/24p!
My settings on the mode dial, ala the E-PL5. That’s all I need.
24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p 24p
Please Add this
Improove the AF -C
The SPOT METERING MUST HAVE INTEGRATED WITH AF- POINT not Steady in a center
Consumer-friendly features:
1) Digital zoom, or at least add 1.4x and 3.x (or 2.8x) to the existing 2x digital teleconverter
2) Exposure compensation in M+AutoISO and scene modes
3) More video containers and codecs
Exposure compensation in Manual Mode ?? Just change the aperture or the speed and you will have it 😉
In “M+AutoISO”. If you change aperture or shutter speed, AutoISO will compensate.
That setup is really very useful, lets call it A+S priority mode.. 🙂 You get to pick both aperture and shutter speed, and within range, auto-iso will ensure a proper exposure.
Lacking EC for that is indeed a pity, it would have made it complete.
Focus peaking and HDR needed!
Apart from all the things listed and no lens hoods,”chrome only” lenses and a strap lug that seems to be in the wrong place, what’s not to like about the OMD
Focus is already available with the workaround.
I’d say it’s better video 24p or better AF-C…
My wish list:
1. Focus peaking
2. Smaller focus points without using the magnify function (like the new PENs)
3. Ability to customise the ‘up’ arrow on the four way controller to something other than exposure compensation – I have a dial for that already!
4. Built-in ND filter (I believe some Fujis have this feature?)
5. Free 75mm lens for everyone who has already bought an OM-D (I can dream…)
Built-in ND filter can be somewhat simulated in software, but that is something you can already do yourself anyway.
A real ND filter would be a hardware change, and not something that can be implemented with new firmware.
I doubt it’s video knowing how they charge $300 more to get a special edition black lens. My guess is they reserve this for a later model so they can force people yet again to pay for features that should be included. like black lenses.
If they solve the banding issue with the 20mm I will finally buy the OM-D. More video framerate/compression options and focus peaking would be welcome, too.
Useable exposure bracketing would excite me, but I don’t think that’s what is being referred to.
Don’t think they will ever introduce Focus Peaking: The reason why Lumix, Olympus and Fuji still don’t have FP is, that they want to sell their AF lenses and never introduce such a easy system for MF.
Manual focus has been very easy since the Panasonic L10 of 5 years ago with any lens….
lol, and the best product for PC World is Windows 8? So I don’t believe that this hit list is really serious 😉
To be honest, focus peaking wouldn’t change my life one whit. You know what would? An actual usable bracketing function that doesn’t seem like it was implemented for six fingered Martians. Olympus has always made great cameras that take unnecessary minutes to turn bracketing on & off.
I would need JPEG with noise filter really de-activated.
The setting “Off” is not really… off.
How do you know it is not off, between AA and demosaicing?
– The possibility to download new art filters and frames and delete the ones you’re done playing with.
– Slight improvements on the already good AF.
– Possibility to choose when you want to see the MF assist enlarged view and when you want to turn it off, using the movie record button.
– 100 iso.
Absolute agree.
I have only three wishes: 25 FPS, 25 FPS and 25 FPS
+25, +50
Fine Vincent. But what about 25 fps?
ISO 100 and focus peaking would make my e-m5 experience better for sure
Ok. I want it do what I think I want it do. Whenever I think about what I want. No more. No less. now when do I get it? Yesterday?
I am quite prepared to turn it on and off, but the rest……
ISO 100, 25 fps and better battery life
like mentioned previously the main gripe is the ability to set the Custom mode is terrible. Why do you need to hold the button for that? Other cameras have this implemented in the Mode dial and that is the way it should be implemented but a firmware update to recall settings and mode on some button without holding it down would be perfectly usable too.
i have a feeling this firmware update is to bring it in line with E-PL5 image quality output and possibly enable Wifi SD card support to transfer images to Android/iOS app.
Unfortunately, have to agree. And maybe the extra art filter from E-PL5.
Now I read: “It adds several more options to the menu regarding EVF info” – could it be finally distance scale with DOF markings???!!! 🙂
Regarding custom (myset) settings, they could easily give an option in FW to set it under useless “SCN” position on mode dial 🙂
Useless? Can you change Program Shift, exposure compensation, sharpening, contrast, white balance, curves, picture mode, focus mode and other params all at once as quickly as you can change a scene mode? Not every situation gives you a time for all of this, and not everybody has nothing better to do with their time than to process thousands of RAW pictures after a vacation…
Oh Pls pls, do something with the annoying noise from the bloody em5 camera!!!!
What noise?
The ‘hiss’ from the IBIS? They already did something about that.
Update your camera to version 1.5 of the firmware.